History of Hampton Village, (Hampden County) Massachusetts United States of America

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John Cotton, clergyman, was born at Hampton, Mass., now N. H., May 8, 1658; son of Seaborn and Dorothy (Bradstreet) Cotton; and grandson of John and Sarah (Hankredge) Story Cotton; and of Gov. Simon and Anne (Dudley) Bradstreet. He was graduated from Harvard in 1678 and on Aug. 31, 1679, with his classmate and cousin, Cotton Mather, was admitted to the first church in Boston, then under the care of Increase Mather. He was chosen fellow of Harvard college, Aug. 9, 1681, and was made librarian of the college Nov. 7, 1681, probably continuing in the office till 1690, at which time his office as fellow expired. His father died April 19, 1686, and on Nov. 28, 1687, a committee of Hampton was chosen to treat with him in reference to settlement. After declining several invitations to be settled over the church, he finally accepted and was ordained Nov. 19, 1696, the church at that time consisting of ten male and fifteen female members. He was one of the four settled ministers in New Hampshire at the beginning of the eighteenth century. During his ministry two hundred and twenty persons were admitted to full communion and four hundred and seventy-eight were baptized. A portrait, similar to the one accompanying this sketch, is given erroneously in Drake's History of Boston, as that of John Cotton the Puritan. The autograph is probably his but the portrait is unquestionably that of his grandson, the Hampton minister. He was married Aug. 17, 1686, to Ann, daughter of Capt. Thomas and Mary (Goodyear) Lake and had eight children. His daughter Mary married the Rev. John Whiting (Harvard, 1700) and his daughter Dorothy married the Rev. Nathaniel Gookin (Harvard, 1703). His widow became in 1715 the wife of Increase Mather (Harvard, 1656). John Cotton died suddenly of apoplexy at Hampton, N. H., March 27, 1710.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Hampton Village, (Hampden County) Massachusetts

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